Free Essay

Mary Kay

In: Business and Management

Submitted By alcwilburn
Words 884
Pages 4
Mary Kay Cosmetics

Mary Kay Cosmetics is a privately owned company. It is owned by the children of Mary Kay Ash, who started the company, to raise her son, Richard Rodgers. The company was started in 1968, today Mary Kay products are sold in at least thirty - five markets on five continents. Mary Kay’s principles are the same today as when she started the company. Mary Kay Ash’s way of dealing with matters in business and work ethics has been her success in winning several awards, such as, America’s Most Influential Women, and National Business Hall of Fame.
Mary Kay Cosmetics is a company that was founded for women by Mary Kay Ash. Mary Kay was founded in 1963 in Dallas, Texas. In the years since they have become larger in many countries. Mary Kay has been successful by using representatives to sell to friends and family, and to continue to bring in more representatives. They have recently been adding representatives from the younger generation, (ages 24- 35). In doing so they hope they can reach a more expansive group of younger customers. Mary Kay cosmetics have also expand, although a limited amount of products, to appeal to the male customers. There is a new men’s line called MKMen, which consists of colognes, moisturizers, and facial care, such as shave foam and cooling after-shave gel.
In doing a SWOT analysis for Mary Kay, The strength of this company are a loyal customer base, high quality product with strong recommendations, and their website is very user – friendly. The weaknesses are that they have very little products that appeal to the male market, prices are high, not all consumers can afford the products, and the product is known as a product for older women. Opportunities for Mary Kay is that they can expand the social media component, there is a diversity within the marketing system, and representatives have the ability to earn a pink Cadillac. The threats for this company are that the competitors are always looking for new ways to lure in new customers using new technology as it becomes available, most competitor’s brands can be found in stores, brands that appeal to the younger crowds.
After doing the SWOT analysis, my recommendation is that Mary Kay expand the male market by adding more products for men, look into continuously updating technology, and use it to help bring in more consumers their way, and find ways to appeal to the younger generation.
In conducting a five forces analysis on Mary Kay Cosmetics, the following information has become clear. The bargaining power of supplies is the volume available. When suppliers are relying on high volume, they have less bargaining power. As Mary Kay produces most of their own products, there is no fear of supplies being cut off. Mary Kay has a selected type of customer base, and as the customers love the product, they will pay more for the product, this is good for Mary Kay’s business volume.
Mary Kay has only a limited few competitors, this gives them a lower intensity of existing rivalry. The threat of substitutes are high, as a lower quality product will cause customers to look elsewhere for a better product. The threat of new competitors is low as strong brand names are important to compete with other companies. Mary Kay’s organizational structure consists of Sales force, Recruitment, Training, and Support, and Corporate structure, Mary Kay’s sales force are contractors called Independent Beauty Consultants. These consultants buy inventory from Mary Kay and sell them directly to their customers. As with other stores, the consultants sell their product for retail and keep the difference of what they pay for them. Consultants also earn commission by recruiting new consultants. Mary Kay is based on experienced consultants helping the new ones. As the commission for consultants are paid by Mary Kay Cosmetics and not out of the consultants’ profits, this shows that Mary Kay is not an illegal pyramid organization.
The current CEO is David Holl, directly reporting to David Holl, is the directors of finance, legal and public affairs, research, human resources, and customer information specialists. The corporation is organized into four departments: marketing/sales, operations, development/manufacturing, and distribution. There are six regional directors that serve as the go between for the corporate office and the individual sales force.
My analysis of Mary Kay shows that they are a strong company and have good strategy practices keeping them strong for the past fifty years. They have all they need to keep them going profitably for many years to come. They do need to work on the weaknesses found, such as, expanding their product line for men, finding new ways to attract the younger generations, and keeping up to date on new technology as it arises, and how it can assist them in marketing.

Resources

America's Largest Private Companies. (2009, November 27). In Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/21/private-companies-09_Mary-Kay_9ETL.html

2014 Vault Rankings. (n.d.). In Vault. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://www.vault.com/company-profiles/personal-care/mary-kay-inc/company-overview.aspx

Glass, M. (n.d.). Mary Kay Organizational Structure. In Chron Small Business. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/mary-kay-organizational-structure-15525.html

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Mary Kay

...Mary Kay India: The Hair Care Product Line Opportunity http://www.marykay.com/ 1. Synopsis : Based on a request received from GM -MK- India, Sheryl Adkins Green, vice president –Brand Development at Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. is evaluating the expansion of MKC –Indian operation portfolio through a customized Hair Care Product line which will include the soap launched recently in 2008 and which outcome cannot be considered relevant for a decision due to the short launching time span. Previous introduction of hair care line in USA and Europe respectively In 1970 and 1990, proven to be unsuccessful, mainly due to MKC little experience in the Hair Care line being not part of its core business which encompasses: * Skin care * Makeup * SPA * body care * Sun care Products * Lip and eye care Prior to make a decision Sheryl-Adkins called for a staff meeting to debate two issues: a. Market Opportunity: Whether to launch introduce hair care products in India? b. Which elements of MKC’s culture; philosophy; distribution practices might be transferable? c. What would be the launching plan? 1. Hair Care Product line components and characteristics 2. Packaging Characteristics and sizes 3. When to launch the line 4. Mar-com Plan 5. Training of the Independent Sales Force 2. Situation Analysis 3.1 Mary Kay Inc. * Founded in 1963 headquartered in Dallas –Texas * Vision The vision of...

Words: 2327 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Mary Kay Cosmetics

...Mary Kay is an American company was founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash as “Beauty by Mary Kay” was a manufacturer of skin care products, makeup and toiletry for men and women. Mary Kay is noted as a top beauty brand offering irresistible products and rewarding opportunities over 35 markets around the world. The key success strategy which Mary Kay focused on is direct sales; constantly motivating sales force. The end goal of Mary was to become “the finest and largest skin care teaching organization in the world. Independent beauty consultants purchase Mary Kay products at an established wholesale price and sell the products directly to consumers at suggested retail prices. Mary Kay Inc. Concept Mary Kay had an initial investment of $5000 and nine independent beauty consultants and the first store located in Dallas, Texas. Their initial line of cosmetics “Basic skin care set” consisted of a limited number of basic items was manufactured by another firm. The products were sold on a cash basis by the independent sales person and they worked on commission. Pink was the organization’s corporate color. The organization’s strategy was to help women around the world discover their individual beauty with remarkable products and customized service. Mary Kay spends millions of evaluating their products in order to meet consistency and meet the highest standards of quality. Independent consultants take leadership roles within the independent sales force to maximize their earning...

Words: 310 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Mary Kay Marketing Plan

...Mary Kay Cosmetics Marketing Plan • Company Description History of Mary Kay Ash retrieved from the Mary Kay website: Mary Kay Cosmetics was founded about 50 years ago by entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash. Mary Kay Ash retired from a successful sales career and decided to write a book for successful women. She decided to make a list from all the companies she worked for and put what they did right and what was done wrong. From this list she discovered she had a marketing plan for her own business. With her life savings and help from her 20 year old son she started a company that would allow women with open ended potential for success both personal and financial ("About mary kay, para 1" ) Mary Kay cosmetics are sold by direct sales force and independent beauty consultants. Her once direct sales company has now turned into the largest direct seller of skin products in the United States. May Kay Ash’s success came from her following the Golden Rule; do unto others as you would have them do unto you ("About mary kay, para 2" ). Her company fully supports and encourages teamwork, respect for others and fostering relationships built on trust, honesty and caring. Mary Kay is headquartered at Addison in Texas, the US. • Mary Kay’s Mission and Goals Mary Kay’s mission is to help women achieve personal growth and financial success, and to enrich women’s lives. Mary Kay Ash wanted to inspire women; one of her many motivation quotes reflects her mission and goals. This quote retrieved...

Words: 987 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Mary Kay Strategic Analysis

...The following report will assess the Mary Kay Company and their ability to sustain growth with its current strategy and existing market conditions and explain how these strategies have contributed to the success of the company. Mary Kay is a privately held, multi-billion dollar company specializing in the direct sale of skin care and color cosmetics. Founded in 1963, with an investment of only $5000, this company has steadily evolved into a major competitive force in today’s cosmetic industry. Mary Kay’s mission is “To achieve preeminence in the manufacturing and marketing of personal care products by providing personalized service, value and convenience to Mary Kay customers through our independent sales force (Mary Kay, 2013). With a vision to “Enrich the lives of women,” the company’s goals and objectives work hand in hand to provide a high quality beauty care product and reliable service to their customers while providing women, specifically the Mary Kay Beauty Consultant, with an unlimited opportunity for personal and financial success. Mary Kay as a great many strengths they have built upon over their 50 years in business. Mary Kay has a strong market position with significant global presence, serving a wide range of customers across many countries. Mary Kay products are sold in more than 36 markets worldwide, and the Company’s global independent sales force exceeds 2.4 million employees. Since 1990, Mary Kay, Inc. has experienced significant growth, opening in...

Words: 1264 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Mary Kay Cataloge Outline for Eng 101

...Kwyntaé Grampus English 101 - 01 Dr. Klimek Mail-Order Catalogue: Mary Kay® Bridal Audience: Women getting ready for their wedding day, uninformed customer, doesn't know what they want to do with their make-up, women Products: Make up I. Introduction: a. organize thoughts, how they could look, step by step instructions, wants instruction, still figuring out how to do it II. Body Paragraphs: b. Cover Art: Attention Grabbers i. The cover of the catalogue shows a radiant woman in a bridal head piece glowing in make-up. ii. The words on the front of the catalogue say: "Get Gorgeous!" Every woman wants to look their absolute best on their wedding day. iii. "Your way to beautiful" at the bottom of the cover page is part that I don't necessarily think is the best thing because it is insinuating that the woman reading this catalogue isn't already beautiful. c. Organization: Chronological Order? iv. "Countdown to Smooth, Glowing Skin" is the very first article, trying to sell the 'TimeWise' collection in order to improve skin to become a pallet for the makeup. v. "The Secret to Flawless Foundation" is the next article in order to create a base for the main makeup. vi. "Timeless and Oh-So-Wearable" is the next article to advertise make-up looks that has been around for a while and that will always been around, the "classic daytime" look. vii. "All Eyes on You" is the next article that...

Words: 450 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Mary Kay Cosmetics (Asian Market Entry)

...Zhuo Wang MAR6158.901 27/May/14 Case Summary: Mary Kay Cosmetics (Asian Market Entry) In February 1993, Curran Dandurand who was senior vice president of Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. found out that though MKC has sold its products outside the USA for 15 years by 1992, the international sales only take 11% of the $ 1 billion total. The data showed that one of its main competitors, Avon, its Products Inc. take over 55% of its $3.6 billion sales from international market at that time. Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc., which is also called MKC. Mary Kay is a cosmetics incorporated in Texas (United States) in1963 by Mary Kay Ash. Since that time, Mary Kay Ash’s charisma, philosophy, and motivation were likely appeal to women all over the world, actually this company offers unlimited opportunities of women in business. Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. is a direct selling cosmetics company, sold a range of skin care, personal care, and cosmetic products through approximately 275,000 independent sales people worldwide. Actually all the company products were manufactured in a single plant near Dallas. And there were four basic levels of independent contractors in MKC sales force: beauty consultants, sales directors, senior sales director, and national sales directors. Promotions were made on the basis of performance, and Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. involved its sales force in product policy decisions by sending samples to them for evaluation. MKC also developed training ads programs and manuals for its sales...

Words: 727 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Mary Kay Cosmetics: Asian Market Entry

...Alima Shamuratova Mary Kay Cosmetics: Asian Market Entry Q1. First, choosing between China and Japan Mary Kay Cosmetics (MKC) management need to focus on profit and financial performance. This is the main objective for every company. Japan market is saturated and if MKC go to this country, it will start bringing profit in 4-5 years. Thus, it will take more expenses. Chinese market is not saturated, there a few foreign competitors and it allows to think that Chinese entry brings profit earlier and be cost advantage comparing to Japan ( if calculate, it can take about 2-3 years to become profitable). Moreover, labor cost in China are cheaper. Secondly, market size of China is almost 10 times bigger than in Japan. Even though that Japan has 77% of women living in cities and China has only 27%, Chinese urban population is three times more than Japanese. Third criteria that is very important is legal and political situation. Japan is politically more stable than China. It is also more difficult to enter to China due to legal regulations and high tariffs, process of entry takes about 2 years. However, foreign companies used joint venture for entry that allows building strong relations with country and sharing risk. Despite the complicated regulation process for entry, Chinese government is more opened to foreign investments than Japan. Fourth criteria is demand and consumer behavior. China and Japan have significant culture difference in perception and sales approach. Japanese...

Words: 1100 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Mary Kay Ash & the Four Roles of Management

...Analyzing the Four Principles of Management: How Mary Kay Ash Utilized Them and How Her Innovation Will Translate to Any Business Max Fausnight The Los Angeles Film School Analyzing the Four Principles of Management: How Mary Kay Ash Utilized Them and How Her Innovation Will Translate to Any Business The world thrives with government powerhouses, tech giants, inspiring superstars, and many more great achievements. The common factor between these amazing feats is people. People harbor the power to accomplish, inspire, and create. When it comes to grandiose tasks, we require management to maintain solidarity and purpose in order to bring our dreams to life. Developed by a coal miner, Henri Fayol, we practice four common principles of management (Williams, Rtr. 2015). This allows for consistent success and can easily apply to any goal that requires structure. The acronym P.O.L.C. conveniently houses all of these principles for easy memory. The “P” represents planning, the “O” represents organizing, the “L” represents leading, and the “C” represents controlling. These four principles were crucial to the success of many business legends and I will examine their application with a personal favorite, Mary Kay Ash. After, I will highlight any other important aspects of what we’ve learned so far. Then I will finalize my paper with how our company will implement these necessities for great management. Mary Kay Ash started her company at age forty-five with just five thousand...

Words: 1291 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Mary Kay

...Mary Kay Inc.: Building a Brand in India Cameron A. Sanders Northeastern State University MKT 3213 CRN 30369 Dr. Ronald Petty February 19, 2016 Mary Kay Inc.: Building a Brand in India Mary Kay Inc. is a company I have heard of and know some about but I am a guy who does not where makeup like a Frenchman. I knew Mary Kay was popular in the United States among the women population. I know some people who threw some Mary Kay parties. Other than that I did not know much about the company before watching this video. I was actually shocked when I found out Mary Kay is mostly sold by individuals who host parties. It is a company who values relationships between the seller and buyer. Mary Kay Inc. is shockingly popular internationally. This is coming from a guy who did not know much about them prior to this assignment. The marketing strategy to expand into other countries is what catches my attention more than makeup. The marketing research team must had its work cut out for them. They had to figure out what countries wanted. Like how they was able to strive in China. Chinese women are women who do not bath in makeup like some American women. They prefer the natural look. So how did Mary Kay do it? They focused on facial creams and things of that nature. They sold the product that they wanted. They did not try and sell all the makeup to them. Mary Kay Inc. now wants to expand into India. This may be a challenge people believe but Indian women are not...

Words: 724 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Csr a Comparative Critique

...Business Coursework Corporate Social Responsibility: With reference to your own research, do you think that the ability of a business to act successfully in a socially responsible manner is mainly determined by the products it produces? 1963 Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as that of the local community and society at large. This simply means that a company gives back that which it has taken from the environment, workforce and society. There are many ways by which a company can behave in a socially responsible way, for example: using recycled products, making sure their products are fair trade (fair trade is paying workers with a wage enough for them to have a comfortable life so that they can survive, customers usually do not mind paying extra for these products) or giving donations to charities etc. “Companies with a defined corporate commitment to ethical principles do better financially than companies that don’t” – DePaul University 1997 A company behaving socially responsible is a relatively new phenomenon, in the past many companies did not care about their staff, economy and environment as long as the business was making profit and expanding, which is still the main objective for many companies today, but through a socially responsible way. The main objective for most companies...

Words: 2441 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Business

...Year | 2014 | Exam Sitting | AUGUST | Subject | E-COMMERCE | Weightage | 25% | Submission Date | 31/7/2014 | Regulations A. Late Submission * A 10% deduction per day of total coursework marks (excluding weekends and public holidays). * Late submission between 5 to 10 days, results in a 50% deduction of total coursework marks. * Late submission past 10 days results in an automatic 0% for coursework and the student will be barred from the final examination. B. Deliverables Students must submit all materials supporting their coursework listed in the deliverable section. * Plagiarism is presenting somebody else’s work as your own. It includes: copying information directly from the Web or books without referencing the material; submitting joint coursework as an individual effort; copying another student’s coursework; stealing coursework from another student and submitting it as your own. Suspected plagiarism will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt with according to the procedures set down by the university/college. The coursework must be done individually and must be entirely your own work. Please make sure that you are aware of the rules concerning plagiarism. If you are unclear about them, please consult your program coordinator/lecturer. * The coursework should exhibit formal research skills i.e. with a table of content, proper citations, references, and appendixes. * The coursework write up must be able to demonstrate...

Words: 1122 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Women in the Workplace

...Running Head: Diversity Competency Case: Women on Corporate Boards Samantha Bunn Bus 520 May 10, 2011 Dr. Johnny Eluka Running Head: Diversity Competency Based on the stories presented, discuss the characterizations of the female board members in relation to the behavioral model of leadership. When I reviewed this case of women on different boards serving a variety of positions, I felt that there was a comparison with all these individual women whether they are the only woman director on board or whether they are among other women directors on board. However, it’s obvious that when the board only holds one woman the level of office difficulty is higher. The three stories of female board directors where they are the only females on board are very common. These women set a picture showing that they have to give 150% in order to be heard as well as a make a difference. Women who serve as the only female on boards are almost pushed out of the way, their opinions seem to not really matter. Their voices seem not to be heard either. The first woman states that: “You can make a point that is valid, and minutes later a male could make the same point”, however the male will get congratulated where as the female will not. She also mentions that until the males in the board room realize that the females are not going anywhere, the respect is not given. Basically, the women have to work harder than the men to fit in, establish themselves as well as have their...

Words: 1202 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Mary Kay (China)

...Yes, that was a wise decision that Mary Kay to change its marketing strategy for China. Why Mary Kay change its marketing strategy in china, the reason why it was mainly because the changes of china’s policy and regulation. There were twice changes of china’s policy and regulation since Mary Kay entered into China and started to market its products through direct selling in 1996. The first time was that Chinese government directly implemented policy and regulation to ban the direct selling in mainland in China in 1998. Because china government’s purpose was that prevented the Ponzi scheme happened in china, therefore, china government took this action to stop the Ponzi scheme and the similar things. However, Ponzi scheme was that no any product to sell to the customer and didn’t exist in the real entity liking company’s building, as well as the customers had to pay some money to the person that the customer contacted in fixed time. Moreover, this was only a kind of fraud business act. In order to cope with the first time of change of China’s policy and regulation, Mary Kay changed its marketing strategy to match this policy and regulation that banned the direct selling in China. Mary Kay chiefly adopted two kinds of marketing strategies in the first time. One of marketing strategy was which Mary Kay chose to loyalty to the Chinese government by demonstrating social responsibility to employees. Hence, Mary Kay didn’t lay off any employees and kept them in the company...

Words: 791 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Entrepreneurial Leadership

...Assn. 1: Entrepreneurial Leadership An entrepreneur is a person who has the initiative to start a business, a new enterprise, venture or idea and takes accountability for the risks and the outcome. Most entrepreneurs have a desire for responsibility, like to take risks, have confidence in their ability to succeed, a desire for immediate feedback, a high level of energy, skill at organizing, and value of achievement over money. There are many reasons why someone may take this path but the bottom-line is this person has a strong will and determination to succeed. The leading entrepreneurs I have chosen are Mary Kay Ash and Russell Simmons. Russell Simmons is a business mogul, activist, best-selling author and he is owner and founder of RUSH Communications. RUSH Communications is a leading multi-faceted holding company with investments in well-known and respected brands in three industry segments: entertainment and media; fashion and lifestyle; and empowerment. RUSH Communications, Inc. includes a management company, the hip-hop record label Def Jam, and the sneaker company Run Athletics. He is also the founder of the clothing lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and American Classics. Some of Simmons other ventures include a film and television production company, Simmons Lathan Media Group, Unirush Financial Services, Simmons Jewelry Company, and GlobalGrind.com. Rush Communications is currently worth approximately $340 million. Simmons leads in a situational approach style....

Words: 1403 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Mary Kay India

...ASSIGNMENT CASE STUDY : MARY KAY INDIA HAIR CARE LINE PRODUCT ALINUR AYUNI ALI2012416538 MOHD HAFIZ ABD GHANI 2012456922 UMI NADIA MOHAMED 2012217058 GROUP BM7702PA – EVENING TRACK LECTURER DR. SITI ZALEHA SAHAK TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Strategic Issues And Problems 1 2. The Branded Beauty And Personal Care Market In India 2 3. Mary Kay, Inc. 4 1. Mary Kay Inc. Hair Care In India 4 2. Summary Of Facts – 4Ps 6 1. Product 6 2. Price 6 3. Promotion 7 4. Placement 7 4. Strategic Marketing Tools 8 1. BCG Model: Branded Beauty and Personal Care in India 10 2. BCG Model: Mary Kay Business Subunits in India 11 3. Limitations of BCG Model 12 4. Payoff Matrix: Alternatives for Mary Kay Inc. 12 5. Recommendation and Conclusion 15 1.0 STRATEGIC ISSUES AND PROBLEMS Sheryl Adkins-Green, the vice president of Brand Development at Mary Kay, Inc. received a request from a general manager for India to provide a hair care line for women. Being in attached with the company, her responsibilities to develop brand and being in charge around the world and global initiatives and products specially formulated for global markets. However, Mary Kay, Inc. had introduced...

Words: 3817 - Pages: 16